Shillong — A group of volunteers lead by a catholic priest has proved that rickets is completely curable, while the medical world asserts it can only be partially remedied.
Salesian Fr (Dr) Jose Chunkapura made this claim in Shillong at the rickets identification and treatment camp held at the Centre for Caring for Disabled Children, August 14. The centre is a social outreach programme of Sacred Heart Theological College (SHTC) at Mawlai, Shillong.
Rickets affects the entire bone structure and leads to a variety of deformities like bow-legs, knock knees, twisted ankles, and soft skull.
“Malnutrition due to poverty, ignorance and poor eating habits is the main cause of rickets,” says Dr (Ms) Martina Marwein.
Pointing to rickets victim children she adds, “These children are not exposed to enough sunlight in the cold Khasi Hills and suffer from lack of calcium and vitamin A and D.”
Dr. Marwein has been a close associate of Prof Chunkapura since he began this work for the rickets ridden children way back in 1989.
In the camp conducted at SHTC Shillong as many as over 650 children were examined by volunteer doctors and free medicines (calcium and vitamin D) distributed.
“This is a heaven made centre. I am so happy with the treatment and medicines I received. Be sure I will be here next month,” said Ms Genevive Kemberlang who brought her rickets affected child for the first time.
Currently the centre is treating about 9,000 rickets affected children and “at least another 10,000 untreated children could be out in the villages,” says Dr Kemberlang.
Urgency of the situation is that rickets must be treated before the age of 12 and can be cured fully.
Plans are afoot to begin an awareness campaign through local newspapers and through seminars for girls in secondary school and college level.
The Meghalaya government has collaborated with the centre by occasionally supplying medicines and lately the lone Rajya Sabha MP from Meghalaya Ms Wansuk Syiem contributed generously towards purchase of an ambulance for the centre which has helped reach out to far away villages too.